Breaking Free
by IncognitoRecognition
Summary: How could he have found out so soon? She was so careful. No one but the Death Eaters would know, the Dark Lord had said. Then again, there were more pressing issues on her mind than Snape knowing. Like Dumbledore knowing. And being locked in Azkaban won't help her become better in the Dark Lord's eyes... {AU. Hermione is a Death Eater} EVENTUAL HG/BL. Starts w/ Chap 2, Chap 1 3rd
1. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Trip to Azkaban

It had been a few minutes after her friends were ushered out of the Headmaster's office. After they left, Dumbledore had seemed to realise that he had forgotten to remove her wand from her person. She didn't want to be completely vulnerable, but she had no choice. _Hand over a fake wand?_ No chance. He would recognize it in an instant, and if he didn't, Snape would. _Hex him? _Hex him. Her subconscious had stooped so low. A clearing of a throat broke her concentration. 

"I do believe that Albus asked for your wand..."

"Yeah, of course. It's a wonder I've kept it for this long, you know? The staffing at Hogwarts is really that terrible, is it?" A sharp glare from the scowling Potions Master caused her to role her eyes and extract a wand from the back pocket of her robes. She extended a pale hand towards Dumbledore and he deftly plucked it from between her fingers.

"The Aurors will be here in a matter of minutes, Albus." She felt scared all of a sudden. _Azkaban? I'm not that brave! I'll go insane in a few weeks..._ Her breathing picked up, until she fainted.

O-O-O-O-O

Bellatrix's cell had been solely occupied by her since her imprisonment. So when she was informed of an inmate, she was surprised. The guards refused to mention names, they didn't even tell her to her face! They slipped her a note along with her morning porridge. Even magically made it was foul. Not that she expected amazing food, she was in prison after all, but she imagined being allowed to have toast. She missed toast. It was weird that she missed it; she'd never much indulged in it when she was free. Now that she was imprisoned, she missed everything. From her arranged husband who she never loved, to torturing captured mudbloods.

Walking around to the back of her cell where the Dementors couldn't find her, she broke her stony resolve for just a moment. She allowed the tears to fall on her face for one time in forever. But as soon as they began, they stopped. She couldn't allow her new cellmate to see her in a rare moment of weakness. She straightened her back and sat against the wall, waiting.

O-O-O-O-O

She recovered almost instantly, or so it seemed to her. The Aurors were just flooing in when she awoke anyway. She almost felt regret for what she had done. _Almost. _She still wanted revenge on Weasley and Potter for always making her feel less than perfect. _Friends were meant to stick together. _

"Wotcher, Hermione!" Tonks greeted enthusiastically. "So where's this new-found Death Eater we're taking away?" The last part seemed to be directed more towards Dumbledore, but it was answered by Snape anyway.

"Miss Granger," he shuddered slightly, "Is your new-found Death Eater…" Tonks and the rest of the Aurors faces was so perfect she nearly smirked despite herself. _Self-control, mudblood. _One Auror even raised their wand at her, but no hex flew from the wand. She didn't recognise the Auror at first, but when he winked at her, she knew exactly who it was. Lowering their wand, he turned to the others and inclined his head towards the floo. One stunned her, and she blacked out for the second time that day.

O-O-O-O-O

His guise as an Auror worked, and she knew who he was. He had arranged things ahead of time so she would be imprisoned with Bella. Granger and Bella had several things in common, and he knew that Bella was fed up with being alone from all the visits he had made because of Narcissa. Bella wouldn't be too happy with sharing a cell with Granger - someone who she believed to be a Mudblood – at first, but Lucius hoped she would accept Granger eventually. Bella wasn't one to accept people, but he hoped she would put that to the side. Her and Granger were on the same side now, weren't they? Not that he thought that would cause them to get along.

He had decided earlier that he would be the one to introduce Bella and Granger. No one else would do. Bella would attack, he knew that, and he was sure that Granger would know that the second they met. _Thank Merlin for their wands being confiscated. _His sharp grey eyes snapped onto Granger's attire. Gryffindor robes, obviously. It would not do to be imprisoned in Azkaban while wearing them. He flicked his wand with the grace of a Malfoy and some Muggle clothes appeared. Granger's size, obviously.

O-O-O-O-O

She was glad that Lucius was there for her. She never thought that she would ever be allowed to think that, but times had changed. Everyone knew, _how they knew, _the day after it happened was a mystery. He had kept a friendly arm around her during the Apparition to Azkaban, and even organised for her to share a cell with another Death Eater. She was also annoyed with him. _Bellatrix Lestrange? A cell with… her? _But she knew it was the best she could have gotten, quite possibly.

They stunned her to take her to her cell. It wasn't a surprise to Hermione; they couldn't risk her escaping, could they? Bellatrix was asleep in her cell when Hermione was _Ennervated_ awake. Quite probably Lucius' doing, but she didn't mind. She had been asleep the entire time, so the Dementors hadn't taken a toll on her yet. Still, the second she awoke she felt depressed. _Why'd you leave them? _Her mind wasn't making much sense to her, but she needed to get her snappy sarcastic wit back before Bellatrix awoke for their first meeting.

It took her less than a minute to realise she was shaking in her sleep. _Poor Bellatrix, _was all she allowed herself to think before snapping back to her usual alert self. _She could kill you with her bare hands. Without hesitation too. _She shrugged that thought aside, as Bellatrix shrugged herself awake. Dreary eyes, filled with no emotion stared unblinking at her for a full minute before Bellatrix grunted and grabbed her head and pushed it towards the stony ground of the cell. _So this is why no one shares cells here._ Her head connected with stone and she blacked out for the third time that day.

O-O-O-O-O

AN: Sorry it took so long to get this out, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. I'd like to thank Danigirl84, MelodiDam and PAULA FOREVER for putting this story on their alert list. :D!

Until next time, au revoir!


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A New Cell-Mate

Part of her mind was screaming at her. _She's your Death Eater cell-mate._ But Bellatrix didn't much like jokes. _The Granger mudblood? Fat chance. Great joke Lucius. _But the longer she stared at the blood pouring out of her head, the more she realised that she could have just killed an ally. She normally didn't care about that, so why was she feeling remorse now? For a mudblood no less. _Emotions. _Bellatrix scoffed silently in disbelief. _She was incapable of feeling. _No, that wasn't true. What she felt for Rodolphus certainly wasn't platonic, or something she felt for many people. _But that's not love. _

There was no doubt in Bellatrix's mind that she loved Rodolphus, but was she _in _love with him? She didn't think so. Maybe she _was_ incapable of feelings. Not all feelings, obviously, she felt something for Rodolphus, and maybe even her Lord, but most feelings. _Are there more people out there like me? _I never used to be like this. Has Azkaban changed me in a different way than it changes others? All those that came out of Azkaban were insane, and most certainly incapable of feelings, but none seemed soft. _Soft. Yes, that was the word for it. _What would the others think? Just thinking about that made her shiver, so she gave up on thinking. Not daring to spare a glance towards the injured girl on the floor of her cell, she curled up and fell asleep.

O-O-O-O-O

It wasn't hard to notice that Granger was in pain. Even Bellatrix, who was terrible at reading facial expressions, could tell that. The worst part was, that even with all that Azkaban had helped her feel again, she felt no remorse. _Should she? _The answer to that was obvious. Yes, she should feel bad for knocking someone unconscious, _someone she would be in close proximity to for the remainder of her time in Azkaban, _but she didn't. She also didn't want the Granger girl to notice she was awake, and watching her struggle to sit up. Granger's shaky hands were so evident, it looked like her hands had been subject to a jelly-leg jinx. _Why is she shaking so? _She didn't exactly want to know, but she couldn't deny her curiosity. She knew never to indulge curiosity. _Curiosity killed the cat, but it also killed the Death Eater. _She'd been subject to so many _crucio's _during her brief moments of curiosity, she wasn't likely to invite another.

Just then, Granger glanced towards her, and she snapped her eyes shut. She didn't open her eyes again for fear of being noticed, but her thoughts never ceased. Not until she fell asleep again, at least.

O-O-O-O-O

Spots filled her vision when she came to. _Bellatrix. _She felt a pang of annoyance at the elder witch. She ignored it. _I do have to be stuck with her until the Dark Lord breaks all of us out. _It wasn't a feeling easily ignored, but she tried her best. _For the Dark Lord. He wouldn't be too happy if you killed another Death Eater, now, would he? _So she held her tongue, and withheld from choking the woman in her sleep. She flinched slightly as she put weight on the hand that she had fallen onto when she collapsed. She crumbled under the pain, and gingerly tried the other hand. She was able to sit up slowly, but surely. She almost stood up to get herself a drink of water from the Hogwarts kitchens. Habit, she knew, but it still made her slightly sad to think of Hogwarts. And Ron and Harry would be missing her. Or maybe not; she had basically told them to piss off the last time they spoke. _The last time they spoke. _She cringed whenever she thought of that event. _I could have handled everything so differently. In a much more Slytherin way. _But the past was in the past, and the most she could do while locked up in her cell was wish that the boys would still think of her and smile, rather than scowl. Wistful thinking, she knew, but it couldn't hurt much. Occlumency had been her friend for the better part of a year, while she was still debating on when to reveal her true nature.

Revealing her true nature had quite possibly been the biggest mistake of her life. _But it was also the best decision of her life. _She couldn't decide if it had done more good or bad to her, and if it was worth it in the long run. She thought not, but couldn't be sure. She certainly regretted it now. Well, most of it at least. She couldn't pinpoint exactly which parts she didn't, though. She glanced over at Bellatrix to double check if she was really asleep. She couldn't have Bellatrix knowing that she was so weak, she couldn't even stand up. She could have sworn that she saw her eyes snap shut when she looked over, but the black eyes stayed screwed tightly closed, so she blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She didn't feel right, somehow, lying in a stone cell. Surrounded by Dementors, and a lady who could surely torture her to make her more insane than the Dementors could. Then again, she couldn't think of a situation in which that _would _make her feel right.

She decided that she would do a whole lot of sleeping and thinking while in Azkaban. It was the only thing she _could _do, ruling out the reading and chatting and laughing with friends that would be her usual idea of fun. The only way she could do that was to become friends with Bellatrix Lestrange, and that could never happen, could it?

O-O-O-O-O

And so their routine for what seemed like many days was to be asleep, or at least pretend to be, whenever the other was awake. It was rather difficult, always having to check if the other was up and about before moving, but they both liked it that way. When the food came by, they would leave out half a portion for the other. In this way, they became a form of acquaintances. At the very least, they had no more violent discussions, or any discussions at all for that matter. Neither of them could see a reason for wanting to change their routine. But neither of them were exactly _Seer's, _were they?

AN: Thanks so much to everyone who reads this, and an extra special thanks to Lady , MirAndy93, jadzjewels, vileniaveladorn, Carollouren, FyrBornRayne, MysticalFae and TaintedFlare for adding this story to their alert list, thanks to cree011 and Meggymoo12 who added this to their favourites list, drgonlance36 and swishdregs, who favourited and followed this story, and Darkmatter2001 who favourited and followed this story, and favourited and followed me! :)

Also, I think I mentioned this in the beginning, but in case I didn't, Azkaban is changing Bellatrix in a different way which makes her act softer, and thus slightly OOC. Keep that in mind through-out the story. I think that the first chapter doesn't really make much sense (in my mind) when it comes to how I want the story to play out, so I might put up a completely different version of that chapter at some point. Changing the description when I do that too; I don't like Hermione being a pureblood as it turns out. I'm just not creative enough to expand on that.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Marked and Carted

Smoothing back her curly brown hair she checked her reflection in the mirror. The Dark Lord would accept nothing less than perfection, she knew that already. But that wasn't the only thought running through her head. _Why on earth was she doing this? _She knew the answer, of course, but it was a terrible one. He had allowed her here simply because she proved her _want _to be a Death Eater. Unfortunately, even though she did want this before, she was regretting it more and more each minute. Minutely more, though. She still did want this more than anything. And she had planned _every possible _scenario, and still couldn't know for sure if she would make it out alive. For all she knew, they were going to torture her into insanity. _Thank Merlin Bellatrix is in Azkaban. _

"Ready, mudblood?" That was Lucius. He had become a good friend over the days she had been invited. She smiled – no – smirked – at him, before drawling a quick "Obviously". Of course, he couldn't have actually expected anything different. She was _here _because she was ready, and ready she had to be for the rest of her days… _or else… _She probably could have entrusted Lucius with her plan, but she didn't trust him as much as she would have to before divulging that information.

His eyes locked on hers for a brief second, and she saw that he didn't want her to go through with this. In hindsight, she probably should have realised that it was all a terrible idea. There was no end to the possibilities of how she _could have done better, _or, she could have _not ended up in Azkaban. _Of course, that was all wistful thinking now. She didn't know that yet, though. _And she thought she was safe. _

"Hey! Granger!" That was Lucius again. He snapped her out of her daydreaming haze, and motioned for her to exit the room. Just as she was about to leave the room, he grabbed her arm. Part of her heart bet faster, yet another part of it was warning her. _It's Lucius Malfoy, he's so much older than you. _But they were all fruitful, as he only wished to stop her going out without a mask on. _Her mask. _That thought made her smile inwardly. _That's not the only reason she was smiling, though. _

Impulsively, she reached out and cupped his cheek. He looked surprised for a split second, before composing himself. She kissed him lightly. That was all it took for both of them to notice that nothing happened. _Nothing. She didn't like him. _He ruffled her hair slightly, before charming it to keep in place. The mask went on, and she was unrecognisable.

She tried her best to walk confidently, and she succeeded. A quick glance around the circle of people, before she strode before the Dark Lord, and bowed. She offered her arm in sacrifice, and he accepted.

"Morsmordre!" Her arm burned with furious pain, but it was all worth it for her master. She let the pain consume her, fill her, complete her. The only way the Dark Lord would ever accept her was if she fought through the pain.

"I live to serve my lord."

"We shall see just how much you would give up for me," there was a pause before the Dark Lord pulled off her mask, "Hermione Granger."

O-O-O-O-O

Severus Snape was confused. Not a first, but he hadn't been confused in a very long time. After seeing Hermione Granger at the Death Eater meeting, and seeing her being marked he had been contemplating whether or not to inform Albus Dumbledore and, to an extent, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. He decided against it, he would question Granger when she came into Potions today. He had Gryffindor-Slytherin Potions first up, just as well, or he might chicken out. After the lesson finished he kept Hermione behind.

"Yes, sir?"

"Show me your left arm." Hermione's shocked face gave away completely what was under her shirt, yet he needed proof. With one shaky hand, she pulled back her shirt sleeve. Sure enough there it was. The Dark Mark. One of the lightest people he knew, turned dark.

"Sir-"

"Come with me."

"Now!" He shouted after she hadn't moved.

"But sir-"

"I said now!" She scurried after him, through the floo and straight to Dumbledore's office.

"To what do I owe this pleasure Severus? Miss Granger?" Albus looked surprised, but managed to hide it well.

"Miss Granger. Your arm please." Hermione reluctantly held it out, and Albus looked even more shocked, if that was possible. But past that, he looked angry. The twinkle in his eyes gone completely, and his features hardened. Hermione visibly gulped and looked at the ground. _She regretted it even more now than before. _

"Severus, I think you should leave. Miss Granger and I clearly have a lot to talk about." Severus nodded his head and left, noting the wards that went up after he left. Clearly he did not need to know what was being said. Time to make a visit to the Gryffindor common room.

O-O-O-O-O

Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione to come back from the Potions Master's office in the common room. It had been longer than what was expected, but not so much longer as to be afraid on behalf of their friend. When the portrait finally swung open however, it was not to their friends smiling face but the snarling face of Professor Snape.

"Potter. Weasley. Come with me." Exchanging glances they scurried after the already departing professor.

"Granger is a Death Eater." Harry stared at his teacher in disbelief, and Ron began chuckling, but after seeing the stern look on Snape's face stopped at once.

"Are you serious, sir?" Harry winced at Ron's idiocy before sending a questioning look of his own at Snape.

"Yes. She is with the Headmaster at present, and will most likely be imprisoned in Azkaban."

"Can we see her? Now, I mean? I'd like to know why she would... you know... um turn on us and the light... If that's okay sir."

"You may."

Albus Dumbledore was shocked at first when he saw Severus come in with Hermione Granger of all people, and his astonishment didn't stop there. Hermione Granger, a Death Eater? And if she was one, who's to say Potter and Weasley aren't as well? After a few seconds deliberation he flooed the Minister. A few Auror's were on the way to take one third of the Golden Trio away to Azkaban.

A knock on his door sounded and Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley walked in. The ginger's eyes lit up at the sight of Hermione still there, but when she scowled at them all sign of happiness was gone.

"'Mione?" Scowl still present on her face she snarled at them,

"Weasley. Potter. Still as unable to process simple facts I see. Want my help?" She rolled up her sleeve and watched the sadness form in her former friends' eyes. The sadness made her feel triumphant, serves the damn boy-who-lived and his little blood traitor friend right, but with all that said and done she didn't feel triumphant, she felt sad.

The idiot Gryffindors were ushered quickly out the Headmasters door before she could do something so idiotic and so undeniably Gryffindor like killing her friends. No, she was more subtle than that, she would never do something to endanger her ranking with the Dark Lord. Certainly not when she was just marked.

Her friends would die eventually, but not by her hand. The Dark Lord was to finish them off, maybe letting someone else deal with the 'Blood Traitor.' Once upon a time she did believe that she loved him, but now… It was obvious, to her at least, that it was purely platonic. _For the both of them. _So that was that, and she would not let _emotional attachments _hinder her. She did not _really _want her friends to die, except one thing _was _for certain. And she didn't like it.

Harry Potter would die.

A/N: So… This is the updated Chapter One. I hope that this will tie in better with everything else in the story. If you haven't read the previous 'Chapter One,' I don't believe you are missing out on any good piece of writing. I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Trials and Broken Routines

The day that their routine was broken was an unusual day by most circumstances. It started with them being awake at the same time. Neither of them had been able to sleep with the other looming over for the past few days, so they decided to ignore that rule for a while. At the very least, until both of them could sleep again. They still did not acknowledge one another at all, and that would probably not change for a while if they had any say in the matter. They didn't, but they didn't know that then.

The next way it was broken was by them communicating. Yes, the very thing that they had decided against just an hour or so ago. It wasn't by them saying a quick 'good morning' or 'how are you', no. It was Hermione's trial that day. They were awoken by the very person who had organised for them to be in the same cell; Lucius Malfoy. One of them was thrilled to have him there, but the other despised him. Hermione hugged him and thanked him profusely for sorting her into a cell with a fellow Death Eater. The word _fellow _confused Bellatrix. It was then she realised her instincts were right, at first, in saying not to attack her. _She's your Death Eater cell mate. _She remembered them saying.

Hermione seemed to have conveniently forgotten the first meeting of the two, so Bellatrix decided that she would do the same.

"So what are you doing here, Malfoy?" She sniped at him. She was never on good terms with the eldest Malfoy, and that had only intensified when he had not offered her any support while in Azkaban. Sure, sure, putting her in a cell with Granger probably classified as 'helping,' but it sure didn't feel like it.

O-O-O-O-O

It was decided by someone that I would be the one to collect Granger from her cell in Azkaban. An _anonymous _someone. Whoever it was, he didn't care. All that mattered was he could talk to her and Bella. Mainly Bella; he needed to explain to her about Granger. He knew she wouldn't like Granger now, and not for a while certainly, but he needed her to tolerate her.

The trip to the prison was bearable, at the most. They couldn't apparate, floo, or even portkey, so they had to take a boat. The boat was moulding at the edges, and a few planks from the bottom were missing. A few charms sorted that out, but the water still licked at his body when he was near the edge. The boat was rocky the entire way there, and the escort threw up on him.

A cleaning charm took clear of that, but he still sent sneering glances at the other occupant. The trip took a few hours, but when they arrived he was relieved. The same escort gave him directions, and left. When he got there, they were awake. Granger hugged him, and whispered _thank you, thank you. _At her words, he noticed Bella standing slightly behind her. He nodded slightly in greeting, and she slighted her head in his direction.

"So what are you doing here, Malfoy?" She asked, somewhat rudely. They did not like each other much, and he was forbidden to give support to Bella while she was in Azkaban. Lucius thought that intensified the hate even more. He could never be sure, though.

"Breaking you two out," he remarked sarcastically. "I'm to take Granger to her trial." The shocked looks on both of their faces caused a smirk to break out onto his face.

"I get a trial? But why?" She was in shock, apparently. How juvenile. He was prepared to let it slide for the time being; he did like the Granger girl. She would prove a powerful ally.

"Of course," was his silky reply, "but the trial's verdict is already decided, you know that, right?"

She nodded shakily. "I'll be imprisoned for bearing the mark, no matter if they can find proof if I did anything or not." And that, is the definition of a bad trial.

O-O-O-O-O

She didn't know what came over her when Lucius got there. _What made her hug him? _But he didn't seem to mind, so she left that thought in her mind to ponder on another day. She began to Occlude for the first time that day. She wasn't very good, and her defences were shaky, but she didn't need to keep anyone out. Except perhaps the Dementors, but she was so used to keeping them out it was like second nature.

Bellatrix was still hovering near her when Lucius left for a minute to get the key to unlock the cell.

"Hey, mudblood." It was the first words they'd spoken to each other before. Their first spoken greeting. She lifted her head and stared at her.

"Enjoy being free, even if it's only for a day or so." She smiled readily that time, and Bellatrix seemed to flinch.

"Thanks." Bellatrix looked as though she wanted to say something else, but at that moment Lucius came back and extracted her from her cell.

"Time to go, Granger. Say goodbye and goodnight to Bella." But the moment of speaking was past, and they both knew it. She merely inclined her head in Bellatrix's direction, and left with Lucius.

_Enjoy being free. Enjoy being free. Enjoy being free…_

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: As always, thanks to everyone for reading! I'm really sorry about the first chapter being third in order… I was a bit confused, and I apologize. If any more things like that happen, I'll try to notify it in the next chapter A/N. If you want to read the updated first chapter, look for Chapter One in the index. I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion.

Special thanks also to:  
>Dustin Jamason for favouriting :)<br>Hermione Voldemort Riddle for following :)  
>lua solo for following :)<br>Bella0018 for reviewing, and following both the story and me :)  
>athmsc for following, favouriting and reviewing :)<br>MelodiDam for reviewing :)  
>BlackHawkDwn for following :)<br>Shadow96angel for following :)  
>Darkshadow-lord for following and reviewing :)<br>Lionhead Z.J for following :)


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